#SnapChart: Summer’s not so hot when it comes to holiday chat

At Pulsar we take our holidays seriously, which is one of the many reasons why we've been analysing conversations around travel plans. So far, we've seen that social media is where we share our holiday plans, and that those of us living in western urban areas are in fact talking about holidays the most. Next up: who do we travel with and what time of year do we go? The most immediate assumption people would make is that you'd go on holiday with your family during summer. But is that a fair assumption?

Looking at data taken over 2015 as a whole, it turns out that holidaymakers enjoy taking a trip with their friends just as much as they do with their families. The graph below shows conversations connecting family & friends to holiday plans are equally split (50/50), suggesting that both are just as important. We also found that people talking about going on holiday over Christmas slightly trumps those discussing summer plans.

Considering the summer season lasts three months and Christmas just one week, it may be surprising that overall holiday conversations are in favour of the festive period.

However, Christmas is a holiday that allows a great deal of people time off work, and (mostly) spend that time with relatives. Summer is less of a pinpoint in the collective celebrations calendar.

As could be expected from what is considered a family holiday, there is a clear link between those talking about Christmas and mentioning families. Also, people who go on holiday with their friends are more likely to do so in summer. This doesn't mean that families aren't going on a summer break together, but that the majority of Christmas conversations are related to families, and summer chatter is related to friends.

For a travel organisation, this snapchart could help align your marketing strategy and upcoming sales offers to promote family getaways in the run up to Christmas, and group or friend-orientated holidays before the summer period.

If you would like to find out more about understanding audience insights, or how consumers talk about your brand and your industry, please send us an email on [email protected].